Citizen Research Projects

Many of our members have suggested we dig deeply into the category of products called Medical Alert Systems (a Personal Emergency Response System), and see if we can shed some light on which ones work best, and for whom. In this research project we are setting out to do just that.

We evaluated over 50 medical alert systems, and purchased the most promising, then conducted hands-on testing of the products in real-world circumstances. The work is independent, objective and deep.

The results of our research were summarized in the form of reviews and a running diary of our test activities. Then we turned what we learned into a guide to help select the right medical alert system for a given person.

We found that different life circumstances, and different people need different products. We decided there is no such thing as "the best medical alert". But there is often a handful of "best medical alert systems" for a given person. ......Learn more about this citizen research project

Our team of clinicians and citizen analysts has scoured the web for the best available answers to a set of questions designed to help you make falls less likely, and make the consequences if you do fall less bad.

Falls are a major problem for seniors who want to “Age in Place”, and there have been volumes written on fall prevention: on topics like how to fall-proof your home, how to avoid falling and the like. However when we went out and searched for the best answers to the sorts of questions our circles of older adults were asking, we found a bewildering array of different content, and had a hard time finding just the right set of easily digestible information.

The goal of this work is to create an accesssible set of "best insights" to a variety of questions about falls. The target audience for these curated insights is older adults who want to reduce the probability they might fall and hurt themselves badly. ......Learn more about this citizen research project

Activity-tracking Home Sensor Systems are new products designed to help seniors stay in their homes longer, and to help their family and friends worry about them less. If you worry about an elderly relative or friend who spends a lot of time home alone, and are concerned about what would happen if they fell, or if they left the stove on, or if they had an accident and you were not there to help, then these products are designed with you in mind.

We wanted to find out if they work well yet? And which ones work best (there are quite a few)? And for which types of people and types of circumstance are they suitable?

We believe that Apps on a smartphone can be a very valuable, life-enhancing resource for older adults, but that it is hard to discover which Apps are and are not useful for this demographic.

We are setting out to make the benefits of smartphones and tablets easily available for older adults and Boomers through a combination of analysis, teaching, and sharing the experiences of their peers.

The Tech-enhanced Life analyst team, with inputs from our Longevity Explorer Circles, are working though all the things older adults can do with a smartphone and picking out the best. We are testing the apps and finding which ones work and which ones do not, from the perspective of an older adult. Our goal is to turn this work into an ever growing library of learning material designed to help unlock the potential of smartphones and tablets for older adults and Boomers. ......Learn more about this citizen research project

This Research Project is designed to analyze the field of dementia "App's" and present to those who care about someone with dementia an easy to digest overview of what is out there, and what works and what does not. It is both independent and objective, and is a collaboration between Tech-enhanced Life's internal analyst team, and a group of Citizen Observers and Citizen Evaluators. Goals: We seek answers to questions like these: "If I or someone I care about has dementia, what "Apps" are there that might make my (their) life better in some way?" "And within each category, which App's work best, and for which types of people and life circumstance do they work best?" ......Learn more about this citizen research project